Latch



June 11, 1940. w, D, FERRIS 2,203,817

LATCH Filed Feb. 11. 1938 INVENTQR. fli Frras ATTORNEY.

Patented June 11, 1940 UNITED STATES. PATENT. O F E LATGH William D.Ferris, Sterling, Ill., assignor to Frantz Manufacturing 00., Sterling,Ill., a corporation of Illinois 1 Application February 11,1938, SerialNo. 190,069

more particularly to those that are used on doors that open outwardly,such as refrigerator doors,

and on which there is a handle by which to both 1 11 unlatch the doorand pull it outwardly into an open position.

This invention is an improvement on what is vention may be used on adoor of any desired thickness.

It is also an objectto provide certain novel details and features ofconstruction tending to increasethe generaleiiiciency and desirabilityof a door latch mechanism of this particular construction. 1

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists inmatters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a door latch mechanismembodying the principles of the invention, showing adjacent portions ofthe door and doorway broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 2is a vertical section on line 2-2 in Fig. 1 and on line 2-4 in Fig. 3 ofthe drawing.

Fig. 3 Ba horizontal section on line 3--3 in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the parts in differentpositions.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the different parts of the mechanism shownmore or less in separated condition.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises an outer front plate I,suitably fastened to the door,

2 by screws 3, as shown. A sheet metal housing 4 is rigidly fastened tosaid plate, in any suitable or desired manner, and a handle 5 is pivotedat 6 on said housing, with its upper end portion 1 enclosed within thehousing and normally held by cross pin I3 that engages between the twoportions l4 and I5 of a bell crank I6 that is pivotedat I! in thehousing 9 and that has its portion I5 normally held against one wall ofthe housing by the'spring l8 appliedthereto, so that the saidlockingbolt is normally in latching position, as

shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

Between the handle outside and the latching mechanism inside, there is aconnecting rod 19 that has a sleeve 20 screwed thereon, preferably atits outer end, and it will be seen that this sleeve is preferablyexternally polygonal to fit the polygonal opening 2| in the bracketplate I- previously mentioned, whereby this sleeve can move back andforth endwise in this opening, but cannot rotate therein, It will beseen that the rod. 19 itself is preferably provided with longitudinalfins 22 to slide in notches. 23 in an openingprovided in the bracketplate portion 24 of the said housing 9 previously mentioned, and in thisway the said rod is held against rotation, but is freeto slide inthelsaid. openingin the inside bracket plate. It' will be seen that thehead 25 of said rod engages the arm 26 of the previously mentioned bellcrank it, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4; of the drawing, whereby the endwisemovement of the rod inwardly will move the latching bolt l2 intounlatched position, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

In this way, the latch mechanism can be applied to doors of difierentthicknesses, inasmuch as the rod l9 may,in effect, be lengthened orshortened, according to the thickness of the door. This obviates thenecessity of cutting any of the parts in fitting the latch to a door ofany particular thickness.

Obviously, when the handle 5 is pulled outwardly, it will unlatch thedoor and also pull the door into open position.

It will be seen that the said rod extends through the latching bolt, thelatter being formed to reciprocate endwiselwhile the rod remains heldagainst lateral displacement.

An important aspect of the invention, therefore, is that the hole in thedoor is provided with a guiding device at each end thereof, and that thediameter of said hole is such that both the pin l9 and the sleeve 20 arefree to move endwise therein, notwithstanding that the said sleeve andpin are held against rotation by said guiding devices, and in additionit will be observed that the sleeve 20 extends a distance beyond theouter end of said hole, and into the interior of the outside bracket onwhich the outside guiding device 2| is carried, while the inside guidingdevice 23 is carried by the inside bracket that is rigidly secured tothe inner side of the door.

Thus an adjustable sectional push rod is provided, comprising the twosections l9 and 2t one in the form of a sleeve and the other in the formof a threaded rod for engagement with the threaded interior of thesleeve, with the head of the rod inside the door, and the sleeveextending outside the door. In addition, it will be seen that theformation of the two guides 2| and 23 is such, looking at Fig. 5, thatthe two sections of the push rod can be inserted separately toward eachother through the door in the attachment of the latch thereto, and thesleeve 20 can be rotated to give it the proper adjustment for anyparticular thickness of door, ands'uch adjustment hav ing beenaccurately made the plate I can then be fastened in place.

In other words, there may be various ways of assembling the parts of thelatch on the door, but it isobvious that the construction precludes theinsertion of the push rod inwardly through the door, after the guideplate 24 is fastened in place'on the inner side ofv the door, asthe'head 25 cannot pass through the guide 23 that holds the externallythreaded rod portion l9 against turning or rotation about itslongitudinal. axis.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A door latch comprising a guide plate for attachment to the outsideof the door, a difierthreaded internally, an outside housing enclosingthe outer end of said sleeve, fastened to saidoutside plate, a handlepivoted within said hous 'ing to engage the outerend of said sleeve, arod screw threaded to adjustably engage the'interior of' said sleeve,the latterbeing held against rotion of said rod fitting the insideguide, the latter:

ently formed guide plate for attachment to the inside of the door, withthe two plates in alignment, a sleeve fitting the outside guide andscrew tation by said outside guide, the inner end por- I'he red I 9cannot pass through the guide 23, as the head 25 is too large.v

being'formed to prevent the rod from turning, an inside housing attachedto said inside plate, enclosing the inner end of said rod, and latchbolt means in said inside housing, operated by the inner end of the rod,the outside guide being polygonal in form, said sleeve being polygonalin cross section to fit the outside guide, the'inside guide havingnotches, and said rod having lateral ribs to fit the inside guidenotches, with an enlarged head at the end of saidribs to engage saidlatch bolt means, and preventing said rod from being pulled outwardlyfrom the door.

2. A door latchcomprising a guide plate for attachment to the outside ofthe door, a differently'formed guide plate for attachment to the insideof the door, with the two plates in alignment, a sleeve fitting theoutside guide and screw threaded internally, an outside housingenclosing the outer end of said sleeve, fastened to said outside plate,a handle pivoted Within said housing to engage the outer end of saidsleeve, a rod screw threaded to adjustably engage the interior of saidsleeve, the latter being held against rotation by said outside-guide,the inner end portion.

of said rod fitting the inside guide, the latter;

projecting the distance-beyond said inside plate, for doors of differentthicknesses; and said sleeve doing the same with said outside plate,said handle having a normal vertical position for all adjustments ofsaidrod and sleeve.

WILLIA D. FERRIS-

